AI Citations
AI citations are the sources an AI engine references when it answers a question. On engines that show their sources, being cited is how a brand earns durable visibility and referral traffic. Rankry records the domains AI engines cite, computes your citation share, and flags the sources where competitors are cited and you are not.
What this page covers
Section titled “What this page covers”- What AI citations are
- Why they matter
- How Rankry classifies sources
- What a source gap is
Why they matter
Section titled “Why they matter”When an AI cites a source, it both justifies its answer and points an interested reader toward that page. If competitors own the citations in your category, they capture the credibility and the click. Tracking citations turns a vague goal into a concrete list of pages to earn.
How Rankry classifies sources
Section titled “How Rankry classifies sources”Rankry classifies each cited domain by type and status:
| Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Review | review and listing sites |
| Community | forums and discussion sites |
| Publisher | media and editorial sites |
| Wiki | reference sites |
| Competitor | a competitor’s own domain |
| Own | your own domain |
Each source is also marked yours, gap, mixed, or neutral, depending on whether you, competitors, both, or neither appear.
What a source gap is
Section titled “What a source gap is”A source gap is a domain where competitors are cited but you are not. Rankry prioritizes gaps by how often the domain is cited and how actionable it is, so you target the sources that move the most prompts.
Frequently asked questions
Section titled “Frequently asked questions”Which AI engines cite their sources?
Section titled “Which AI engines cite their sources?”Perplexity cites sources by default, and other engines surface citations when they search the web. Citation tracking focuses on the engines and modes where sources are shown.
What is citation share?
Section titled “What is citation share?”The percentage of cited sources, across your tracked prompts, that point to your domain.
How do I get cited by AI?
Section titled “How do I get cited by AI?”Publish clear, current, specific pages, make sure AI crawlers can read them, earn third-party corroboration, and close the source gaps your reports surface.